January 5th

Sometimes, my state of health affects my outlook. Maybe you're the same. For instance, this morning, I couldn't put any weight on one leg. The only way to reduce the agony is to hold onto something. Maybe a short explanation would help you understand--hip replacement gone wrong. Femur shattered resulting in a metal shaft holding the bone together, connected to the artificial joint. I guess it's slightly out of alignment. This pain has struck me before and I know it will fade, given time. I'm a patient woman.

Some aren't so lucky. They're confined to a wheel-chair. Born on the very same day, my hero, Stephen Hawking, is one such person. And yet the British theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author, provides detailed explanations of the most important ideas and developments in human understanding. However, even he doesn't know what will happen to the soul after we die.

"A belief that heaven or an afterlife awaits us is a fairy story for people afraid of death," he said.

I still cling to the thought of an all-loving Creator, no matter what I see around me. I may suffer when walking, but I can always sit down and smell the lilies.